


The Motel

by Bribriklainer



Category: IT (2017), IT (2019), IT - Stephen King
Genre: 'r + ' makes an appearance, M/M, also flashback teen!reddie softness, and eddie's side of his time on tHAT bridge because of a post on tumblr, but before that we get motel reunion, gets steamy, the losers are fake surprised
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 15:16:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20244955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bribriklainer/pseuds/Bribriklainer
Summary: Updated: 09/01/19Richie felt uneasy knowing how close Eddie was, though at the same time it felt soothing. He sat up in his rumbled clothes, listening in to all the muted noises the motel had to offer, the rattling of the AC above his head, tires running over gravel outside his door, and a thunderous rumble, which were no doubt the snores of Ben Hanscom through the motel room's paper thin walls. Richie looked where he presumed Eddie was, fast asleep with his portable air enrichener, which Myra probably packed for Eddie’s trip. He heard the opposite, no loud spray of warm steam coming from the machine that would clear Eddie’s sinuses from the cold Derry air only to have cramped himself into a musty motel room, no, Richie heard grunts. (look it's not what you think, oR IS IT)





	The Motel

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRUf30Afcyo>

***

The Motel was eerily empty just like every other place in Derry, where people kept to themselves sitting indoors on their sofas or rocking chair to savor the feel of four walls that meant safety while the world outside folded in on itself regardless of where they sit.

Richie Tozier nodded his scraggly head at his old friends when they all departed to their separate rooms, Mike Hanlon having found his way home, though he had insisted they could all crash at his apartment but no one wanted to impose him with having to find them a suitable place to sleep. Richie had watched Eddie fumble with his room keys, stumbling fingers jabbing them into the key hole and turning the knob in that same hasty fashion he always put in his movements, the same Eddie had done when he asked his wife to marry him, hasty, unsure, too fast, because it fit. Richie watched him go, the door clicking shut after him. Two doors down from Richie, one from Eddie, Beverly Marsh stood at her door, key still in her hands and not in the knob, she not-so-discreetly watched Ben Hanscom go into his room.

_ Ah, so Richie wasn’t the only one who had it bad… _

Ben and Bev’s eyes locked onto each other once, Ben gave a full smile, never half doing anything he puts his mind to. It was the kind of smile that stays on your face in the years to come, looking ever the same despite the creases around your eyes or the lines around your mouth telling you how much you’ve grown. Richie knew Bev returned the same smile as she watched Ben go into his room without exchanging any words, not like they needed to. Beverly saw herself follow after him from where she stood, the door closing behind them both. She looked around and saw Richie still standing there, his door a jar with the full intention that’d he’d go in at some point. Beverly offered a friendly wave at him with the hand she held her room key in, as if saying to Richie, ‘_ I’m there with you, maybe someday we’ll learn.’ _

Richie wondered about that. Long ago as kids, practically teenagers, they shared these moments in which he found a cool new friend in Beverly and he thought of all that connected them. Now, the old bruises on her wrists, the tired bags under his eyes, both a dark purple, both they seemed permanent, both written in their stories, telling the others continuously of what they couldn’t leave as they stared at the faces of what they couldn’t have.

Richie gave her a nod before she retreated into her room, leaving him alone in the open world outside his motel room, where he let the world drip in momentarily until he remembered he was, in fact, in Derry. He alertly looked around at the empty street and shoved his motel door with his shoulder then kicked it with the back of his heel letting the latch bang the frame loudly before cloaking himself in his own four-walled safety.

Richie hadn’t even bothered with his shoes, hadn’t changed his clothes or taken off his jacket, he just threw the keys somewhere on the bed where his body followed without any intention of actually sleeping. He turned his head where it lay half on the flat motel pillow, half off it, reading the green digital numbers that his ass should be asleep at half past twelve. Richie lifted his glasses and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as one does when there’s too much on their mind, too many words left unsaid, too many actions left unheard. He pulled his hand away, hoping he had grabbed the tiredness from his eyes so he could toss it in some empty corner for the monsters to take. Instead, Richie pulled away his hand, still tingling where Eddie had touched him, where their hands had met in an excuse to be close again after 27 years, like his body had asked for some foreign comfort after filling it with so many familiar drugs and empty laughs, that maybe Eddie would make up for the space he had left in him.

Richie felt uneasy knowing how close Eddie was, though at the same time it felt soothing. He sat up in his rumpled clothes, listening in to all the muted noises the motel had to offer, the rattling of the AC above his head, tires running over gravel outside his door, and a thunderous rumble, which were no doubt the snores of Bill Denbrough through the motel room's paper thin walls. Richie looked where he presumed Eddie was, fast asleep with his portable air enrichener, which Myra probably packed for his trip. He heard the opposite, no loud spray of warm steam coming from the machine that would clear Eddie’s sinuses from the cold Derry air only to have cramped himself into a musty motel room, no, Richie heard grunts. Big whooshes of air as Eddie huffed evenly doing something that sounded like it required force. He darn near stumbled over the useless desk that was pressed against the wall just as Richie found himself doing. What he did stumble on was the stupid wooden chair that came with the nosey desk, it clattered onto the floor, quieting Eddie’s muted noises on the other side.

Richie sat back on his bed cursing under his breath, that sound was pretty damned loud and he wouldn’t be surprised if all the other Losers had woken up from the sound alone, if they weren’t already.

What Richie Tozier had not expected was to hear a gentle rapping against his motel room’s door, he squinted through the dark at the sound and remembered that motel rooms came with lights. He felt his way through the dark and flicked a switch which lit up the room in a disappointing brightness, revealing ugly wallpaper, the kind you want bury beneath a nice floral design to forget how unappealing green lines were against beige.

It was only one knock Eddie had allowed before he stupidly stumbled back from Richie’s motel room door as if it would collapse on him because he bothered it so late at night. The door flew open despite this, like it was Eddie the door were getting away from. Eddie Kaspbrak was on the other side of Richie Tozier’s motel room door, wearing his dark blue flannel pajama set he no doubt received from Myra for the 3rd Christmas in a row, all the sets being a different color from the last.

“What’s with the noise?” Eddie found himself asking. Richie was still in the clothes Eddie had seen him enter the restaurant in; the same dark gray jacket that wrinkled at the elbows because of how instead of buying a pair of mittens Richie insisted on shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. Richie’s hair was messy as if he had laid down with the intention of not sleeping.

“I should ask you the same. What, you a chronic masturbator now?” There was a bead of sweat rolling down the side of Eddie’s face despite it being cold out, it reached where the ear meets the chin, disappearing under that very same place on his shaven jaw, only to reappear on his neck again and rolling down the expanse of skin before reaching the hem of his shirt and disappearing through the fabric.

“What? N-no, I just couldn’t sleep.” Eddie stammered out like he had to prove to Richie, but he knew better.

“So what, casual masturbation is a thing.” Richie shrugged his shoulders, he felt how cold it was outside and Eddie was being exposed to that.

“If you’re not going to sleep you can come in, give ‘ole righty a little break.” Richie moved away from the door and laughed a little at his own teasing, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he’d pass up an opportunity to hang with Eddie. He half expected Eddie to go back to his room. Eddie even surprised himself when he shut Richie’s door behind himself.

“I was working out.” Eddie admitted once he righted the fallen desk chair, which his mind hadn’t put together as the loud noise that brought him to check on Richie in the first place.

“You embarrassed that I creamed you in arm wrestling?” Richie poked. Eddie scoffed.

“As if, I work out when I got too much on my mind.” Which must have been often, Richie looked at Eddie and he could actually see a bit of muscle poking from beneath his long cotton shirt sleeve. For a man that he thought as scrawny upon seeing him after so many years, Richie could see a broadness in his shoulders that came down to his biceps, perhaps if his shirt were a little tighter he’d see the fabric stretch over his pecs as he breathed. Richie blinked his eyes away but Eddie wasn’t blind, not like he had been before.

Eddie recalled a time long ago, much like this moment, instead it had been Richie who went to Eddie late at night, the one who had knocked on his window and nearly given Eddie a premature heart attack at the ripe age of fourteen. It was just like this but Richie had sat down on the chair away from Eddie’s bed. The scene was reminiscent of their youth, it would have been a week before Richie would be moving away from Derry so the essence of uncertainty lingered around them both in the past and now in the present.

_ “I got a whole week to fill with as much crazy, dumb shit as I can possibly do, my ma’ll have to pick me up from the station to take me from Derry.” Eddie was still rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes, which had successfully gone no thanks to a one Richie Tozier himself. _

_ “Yeah? Don’t we gotta talk with the others tomorrow to do so?” Eddie glanced at his room door then at his clock, which read twenty-five past twelve. _

_ “Eds, don’t worry about your ma, I already took care of her before coming.” Eddie grabbed his pillow from the bed and chucked it at Richie’s face. “Fuck you bro, I want to sleep.” The pillow fell from Richie’s face, pulling some items on Eddie’s desk as it did. Eddie jumped from his bed wide-eyed and grabbed his pillow as if it’d take back the disaster it had caused. Richie was busy muffling his laughter because he knew the shit Eddie would be in for if Mrs. K caught him awake at this hour. _

_ “You’re going to get me in trouble.” Eddie grimaced. Richie leaned over Eddie’s head from where he was on the floor picking up his things and turned on the desk lamp. Richie was already familiar with the room, coming up here quickly before Mrs. K could see the dirt they tracked in from playing outside, then locking themselves up here to play video games. Richie always left before the sun went down, never truly seeing how the room looked like at night. Shadows cascaded over Eddie’s furniture, his sheets, and across his face in the dim lamp light. Richie’s stupid chest organ stuttered and he fixed his glasses looking away from Eddie. _

_ “I couldn’t sleep.” Richie admitted, he glanced back at Eddie who was fumbling with his pencil pouch as it kept spilling its contents every time he tried picking it up. Richie reached down to help him, going for a couple of yellow number 2 pencils, the same ones Eddie was reaching for. Eddie lifted his head and Richie’s face was right there, his own eyes betraying him. Eddie glanced down to Richie’s mouth, those pouty lips that he had, the same ones that poured out shitty impersonations, broken accents and rung out the most annoying laughter known to his ears. _

_ Eddie was going to miss that. _

_ Eddie shook his head and put his stuff where they belonged, Richie’s eyes wanted to be seen behind his wide lenses, they followed Eddie as he looked away. Richie knew that words were his strength, no matter how much he strung them along like some crazed radio host but right now they felt like too much of that would break him. _

_ “Tell me why you’re really here.” Eddie was the one to say it for him. _

_ Eddie was the one who had seen Richie at the bridge the other day, the same place he had been before Richie appeared. Eddie was carving a heart to represent the feelings he thought he’d never get to express, he hastily etched a ragged looking “R” inside said heart feeling ever the braver. It’d be his secret, just him and the fence would know, the rock in his hands the only one to hear his confession. A rustle startled him out of the thought, he tossed the rock where he stood and for fear of being caught he dove into the brush. It was Richie, Richie was the one coming to the bridge, Richie who had come here with the same intention to carve something. Eddie had thought it’d be something like “Suck Dick, Get Money,” something crude like his humor was but Richie’s eyes were really looking at the wooden fence, searching for a perfect spot for his message. It was as if Eddie had called him there, Richie walked over to the exact spot where Eddie had been, picked up the same pointy rock he had used to carve his heart and “R.” _

_ Richie’s eyes glanced down, just to the left, for a moment to question what he saw but he pulled his eyes away saying to himself. _

_ “Yeah right…” _

_ Richie looked nervous, that was something he wasn’t as Eddie watched him looking cautious and wary of any noise that might be around. Richie carefully did his carving then it was both of them who stopped, more twigs breaking, more feet shuffling on wood and laughter rung through the open air. Richie jumped away from the fence and dropped the rock in the same fashion Eddie had done and ran in the same direction Eddie had ran. _

_ Eddie’s heel slipped on some dry leaves trying to flee before Richie could see him and Richie’s whole foot caught on Eddie. They looked at each other, breathing hard with wide eyes, the same question bouncing through their heads but only one thing being true. _

_ “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” _

_ They had both been caught. _

_ To this day, when they had walked to the Barren’s like they had planned, making dumb excuses to the other as to why they had been on the kissing bridge in the first place, Eddie had caught sight of the neat “R + “ that Richie had carved before being interrupted by some teenage lovebirds intending to suck face in private. Both of them sweated thinking the other wouldn’t find out about... _

_ “I like you, Eds.” Eddie didn’t move away from where Richie now stood. _

_ “Me?” Richie shrugged his shoulders, stuffing his hands into his short pockets. “I’m as surprised as you are.” Richie really wasn’t, it made sense to him, ever since the first time he caught himself staring at his friend a little too long, then the second, then for a third time. Richie knew well why he hadn’t said anything. _

_ Until now. _

_ Richie looked at Eddie, he didn’t have to say anything back but he kind of wished that he would so he wouldn’t feel like he was left with his heart in his throat. _

_ “I-I uh like you too, dick wad.” Richie knew he was the one who had moved first, pressing his lips onto Eddie’s. Their first kiss was close mouthed, Richie pulled away with a ‘pop’ of his lips against Eddie’s. _

_ “We can do better than that.” That’s how Richie and Eddie found themselves on Eddie’s bed, having pushed the sheets to one side to allow themselves to lay down, they did so they could face each other, knees pressed against each others but torsos apart. Richie’s face was a breath away, his hand found its way to Eddie’s cheek, leaning in to close the gap between their lips. Eddie lifted his head from his pillow to meet him halfway. This was better than the first and so was the next. _

_ And the next and the next and the next. _

_ Richie climbed back out Eddie’s window with a shit eating grin plastered across his face, Eddie, breathless and just as giddy, shut the window and watched him go and make the walk down the street. He laid back on his now cold bed sheets, a slight, feverish blush tinged his cheeks as he slept that night. _

That was left unspoken by the two adults, each time Eddie mentioned Myra the memory pushed back further and further, there was no more room for what had happened between them in that last week together as teenagers to be brought up ever again.

“We’re adults now Eds-” That had done it for Eddie, that damned nickname Richie had given him all those years ago. Eddie didn’t let Richie finish, he used his strength to pull him down into a kiss which Richie returned with the same force. Richie’s glasses knocked against Eddie’s cheek but he didn’t care, neither of them did as they fumbled with clothes. Eddie easily discarded his thin cotton pajama shirt. Richie looked down, stealing a glance at Eddie’s pecs that probably sprouted some years after Richie had left Derry behind. Somehow Eddie was the eager of the two, he reached between them and undid Richie's belt buckle with ease.

“You’re awfully horny.” Eddie helped Richie out of his jacket and his faded shirt that he had washed far more than necessary.

“For what, a chronic masturbator? I can go back to my room and-”

“Can it.” Richie pulled him back, crashing their lips together. He fumbled with his pants zipper and reached down to step out of his them, having to pull away from Eddie to do so. His forehead knocked into Eddie’s chin as he toed his shoes off and he nearly fell, getting tangled up in his own pants.

"Watch it." But Eddie just laughed holding Richie steady and he placed a hand around Richie’s face, guiding him back into another open mouthed kiss. They hit the cheap bed that creaked under their shared weight. Richie immediately felt Eddie ground into him and he gasped against his lips.

“You watch it.” Richie huffed, he pushed Eddie off and pinned him down against the bed so that he was the one who lingered on top. He looked down at Eddie’s face, how his kiss swollen lips parted in the dim light wanting to bite something back at what Richie said. He stared long and hard at how Eddie's hands framed his face, his blown wide eyes that he couldn’t call cute anymore but could equate them along the lines of seductive. Eddie pulled him in again, hands on either side of Richie’s face so he could feel him move against him. Richie didn’t feel the cold band of Eddie’s ring on his cheek, as a matter of fact he hadn’t recalled seeing the piece of jewelry throughout the entirety of the day even though the rest of the Loser’s and Eddie himself made it known that he was in fact a married man. A band indicated he was tied to someone by law, through sickness and in health and all that mumbo-jumbo, the same band Eddie had slipped off that very night after he had received a phone call from Mike Hanlon, after he made up his mind that he would indeed be going back to Derry after so many years.

_ All that was put into the back of Eddie’s mind while he was here, no one forcing him to do anything, he wanted to be right here as he had said to Richie every day just before he moved away from Derry for good. They shyly held hands when the Loser’s had planned an evening camping trip, bumping shoulders as they walked up a steep hill to a perfect clearing as Stan Uris had insisted upon. Two out of the three tents they had brought had been a total bust but the day hadn’t ended there, of course, they wouldn’t allow it. Beverly and Ben had brought the needed supplies; bubbles, drinks, snacks, and pot. Eddie was leaning against Richie’s chest, Beverly offering him a joint to hit and he shook his head, making up excuses in why he shouldn’t, he only fake protested that one time before accepting the blunt and taking a long inhale from it, he had gagged and coughed, then burst out laughing when he heard a collective ‘are you okay’ from his friends. _

_ “I’m just fucking with you all.” But Richie had looked at him with worry written across his face regardless and seeing that his dumb-ass was indeed fine he could relax his hands that rested around Eddie’s waist. The rest of their friends danced around them, Mike having brought his radio all the way out here, the sun casting a warm orange glow, shaking the grass and blowing their hair in the cool evening. They were here to celebrate at their friend’s going away party. Richie had kept whispering stupid sweet nothing’s into Eddie’s ear as he played with the dandelions, changing every other sentence to some stupid version of the current song playing on the radio. Eddie turned quickly and caught Richie’s mouth. “Bet you weren’t expecting that.” _

_ Bev sure wasn’t, she had almost dropped Ben mid dip as she exclaimed giddily at the pair. Mike hooted at the two, Stan scrunched his nose and made kissy noises at the air. Bill just watched and then pulled them both up to join their dance party up on that hill. _

It had felt like forever ago that they had been there.

That same orange glow was what awoke Eddie in the next morning, light filtering through the uneven shades of the motel room and he looked blearily at the walls around him. For a moment he found himself back home, turning over to look at Myra as she softly snored, with her there was no pull in his chest, nothing warm soaked him, just a stuttering realization of what he hadn’t done.

That is until he shifted in bed and he felt strong arms wrapped loosely around his naked waist preventing him from making too many movements. Eddie heard the even huffs of Richie’s breath, the warm air grazing over the expanse of his back. Eddie craned his head back finding the nightstand that held the digital clock and Richie’s glasses that he had put away at some point in the night. 

_ Five past seven. _ Great, he had just enough time to get up and gather his things for an early morning shower. Eddie eyed the warm hands around his waist, debating if his morning routine were worth it when he could stay put right here a little longer. Eddie eyed the four walls that surrounded them, he could stay cozy right here, wait until the others had to bang down the door to get them out so they could do what they came here for.

Oh right, there was _ that. _

Eddie sighed and very gently pulled Richie’s hands free from him, he laid Richie’s hands back softly on the surprisingly smooth motel sheets. Richie had that slight furrowed brow, open-mouthed face as he slept, his pouty lips a soft line, just a tad of saliva at the corner of his mouth. Eddie’s chest thumped hopelessly, he pulled his eyes away deliberating whether it was the sun’s warm glow that had made him feel so warm or was that just the effect of being with Richie? Eddie patted his knees before he stood up, looking around the floor at the mess they had made of their clothing. He knew it would be as cold as it were last night and he eyed a discarded dark grey jacket at the foot of the bed.

Eddie walked out of Richie’s room when he saw Bev come out of her own motel room two doors down.

“Morning Eddie.” She walked towards him, her hair a flaming orange in the rising sun. She swiped some hair out of her mouth and looked between him and Richie’s motel room, a small knowing smile dancing in her lips.

“Nice jacket.” Bev pointed out but her eyes said just as much, if not more. Eddie knew he wasn’t getting away from her that easily.

“You want to go grab some coffee? I saw a cafe with some muffins on display.” Bev nodded, linked her arm into his and smiled at the promise of some sweet pastries to jump start their day.

“Lead the way.”

Richie awoke to an empty bed, not unlike his usual mornings. He looked around, eyes squinted in the now yellow light of the sun streaming through the motel room shades, reaching out for his glasses and putting them on so he could sit up and have a good look at the room he was in. Richie sat there with a lopsided grin, feeling a good ache in his bones, one he hadn’t felt in years. He dragged his hands down his face, feeling the scruff on his chin and cheeks scratch the palm of his hands. Now was as good as any for a quick shower.

Richie locked his motel room door, wearing another wildly faded hawaiin shirt and faded blue jeans, but he hadn’t found his navy jacket and he loved that thing to bits. He turned away from his door just in time to see Eddie come out of his room in the same fashion, a few items in his arms.

Eddie’s face broke out in a warm smile, full of eye creases and mouth lines, that same warm tingly feeling filling Richie up from his toes to his brain and he forgot about needing his silly jacket. Eddie waved a bag and coffee in front of his face, catching the smell of cheap caffeine.

“I got you some coffee and a muffin.” He handed the morning food into Richie’s already waiting hands and in Eddie’s hand he saw-

“Oh and your jacket, if you don’t mind I borrowed it this morning.” There was a little glint in Eddie’s eyes at adding this bit of information and Richie couldn’t help but want to see just how Eddie looked in his clothing.

“Well, you can borrow it whenever.”

“I bet you haven’t washed it in over a year.”

“You’re wrong, it’s been over two years now, nearing three.” Eddie shoved Richie with his shoulder as they walked back to the cafe to meet with the other Loser’s. Eddie watched as their step fell into sync, despite Richie having longer legs than him.

It was otherworldly that they found themselves back here again, sipping coffee and nibbling sweets from each other's plates.

"Did you all sleep well last night? The beds weren't too bad were they?"

Eddie sat across from Richie, maybe he had chosen this specific spot because he could feel the weight of Richie's legs against his under the table, even when he shook it occasionally out of habit because Richie could never sit still. Behind the rim of Eddie's second serving of black coffee he gave Richie a knowing smile, one that he returned while taking a big bite out of the muffin Eddie had given him and he darn nearly choked. The Loser's erupted in laughter as Richie sputtered, Mike clapped him on the back and Bill called their server over for a glass of water.

“I’ll take that it wasn’t a good night?” Mike voiced.

“Oh no, it was a good night, _ great, _ actually.” Richie accepted the water Bill slid over to him on the table and took a big gulp to dislodge any remaining muffin crumbs in his throat. He bumped his leg against Eddie where he no doubt also bumped the others, but oh well, Mike had asked.

Mike crossed his arms and sat back, an amused and pleasantly surprised smile on his face. “Well I’ll be damned.”

**

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first anything ever to be posted so thank you for making it this far! you're awesome <3


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